Woodruff writes: "Unknown to most Americans, many US food companies are joining forces to beat back Proposition 37, a bill which will require simple labels on food identifying genetically engineered products and ingredients."

A shopper walks down an aisle in a newly opened Walmart Neighborhood Market in Chicago. (photo: Jim Young/Reuters)

A List of Food Companies That Hide GMOs

By Cate Woodruff, Reader Supported News

22 August 12

Reader Supported News | Perspective

nknown to most Americans, many US food companies, which manage to keep their GMO ingredients under wraps, are joining forces to beat back Proposition 37, a bill which will require simple labels on food identifying genetically engineered products and ingredients. The ballot initiative from Right to Know will be presented to voters in California's November election.

Big Ag companies have a vested interest in GMO seeds, and the pesticides and herbicides they use in tandem. GMO cotton, soy, sugar beets and corn, which are manipulated to make sweeteners and fats along with other additives like high-fructose corn syrup and soy lecithin, are in ready-made food, snacks, condiments, juice, soda and cereal. Many companies pushing these products into the marketplace prefer to hold profits high and keep consumers in the dark. Labeling these products would affect close to 80% of processed, non-organic food in the US.

Sunny Delight, Kellogg's, Bumble Bee Foods, Bimbo Bakeries, Campbell Soup, Land O'Lakes, Hormel Foods, Dole Packaged Foods, Del Monte Foods and Ocean Spray Cranberries, to name a few, have all joined the anti-labeling coalition to defeat Prop. 37, as well as little-known companies like Knouse Foods, who makes applesauce and apple juice under the Musselman's, Lucky Leaf, Apple Time, Lincoln and Speas Farm brand names.

As many companies have done, PepsiCo not only refuses to reveal its GMO ingredients, but in packaging products from its five divisions, Pepsi-Cola, Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Tropicana, and Quaker, it uses purposely misleading language such as "natural" or "all natural" to entice the health-conscious buyer.

Familiar "health food" brands funding the attack on GMO labeling such as Kashi, Silk, R.W. Knudsen, Horizon Organic and others may surprise consumers. The Cornucopia Institute has put together a shopper's guide with a poster illustration of companies supporting GMO labels in the right column and companies funding the effort to defeat the label initiative in the left column.

The Alliance for Natural Health USA quotes Norman Braksick, president of Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Monsanto, who told the Kansas City Star in 1994, "If you put a label on genetically engineered food, you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it." ANH USA goes on to say, "And that's precisely what Big Food is so afraid of. Consumers will generally avoid GMOs if they can, and they won't buy foods containing them. Can you imagine the consumer outrage if the labels on their favorite 'natural' foods suddenly declare that their ingredients are genetically engineered?"

It is deception in marketing and lack of transparency that has motivated a people's movement for years, pressuring the Food and Drug Administration to create definitions and label GMO products.

In November, California voters will decide whether labels will be required for food and drink containing DNA that has been manipulated by scientists. If the bill becomes law in California, it could catch on in other states as well.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports, "At least 18 states, including California, have tried to pass similar laws through their legislatures and failed. This time, however, the measure made it to the statewide ballot with 1 million signatures. Recent polls show the proposal, Proposition 37, winning by a 3-to-1 ratio, although opponents have raised more than $22 million - $4.2 million from agricultural giant Monsanto alone ... The showdown in California is being watched closely by food activists throughout the country ... The proposition has the support of organic trade groups and consumer groups that say people have a right to know if the food they're eating contains genetically modified material - particularly when the long-term health impacts are unclear. Proponents say research shows risks ranging from allergies to organ damage."

Reuters reports, "Money is flowing in from around the country and opposition fundraising is outpacing that of supporters by a factor of more than eight-to-one, according to filings with the California Secretary of State," and that it "might be a close battle."

Cate is an artist, photographer and a Senior Editor with Reader Supported News.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.

Comments

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Thank you for this list, thankfully I dont patronize most of these companies and the few things I do buy from them, I can buy different brands so no big deal. Im glad to know which companies want to feed us their GMO garbage food. Most of this stuff is in junk food, just another reason not to eat it.

Always nice to know who our poisoners are!Interesting too, to see the bucks they have kicked in, to preserve their hide-out as assassins. Their hush-fund alone would feed millions of the hungry -- but that's not what's on their minds, which are set on Profit -- at all costs to humanity.Sorry I have to avoid these companies 'cause it's some trouble -- but worth it. Is there any way we can have a list of the Good Guys?

Always nice to know who our poisoners are!Interesting too, to see the bucks they have kicked in, to preserve their hide-out as assassins. Their hush-fund alone would feed millions of the hungry -- but that's not what's on their minds, which are set on Profit -- at all costs to humanity.Sorry I have to avoid these companies 'cause it's some trouble -- but worth it. Is there any way we can have a list of the Good Guys?

See paragraph 6 in the article: "The Cornucopia Institute has put together a shopper's guide with a poster illustration of companies supporting GMO labels in the right column and companies funding the effort to defeat the label initiative in the left column."

The "poster" is 8.5x11 size and not that easy to read, but you can print it and get an idea of what to buy that is GMO-free -- it's a short list, sadly.

Kashi is owned by Kellogg's and Horizon got bought by Deans. Google "who owns organic" and see the organic labels owned by corporate food. Big food wins no matter what so their posturing is stupid politics at it's worst.

The opposition claims that labeling will cause food prices to rise and they will, not because of labels, but because of drought and food companies spending millions to fight disclosure.

If you get a chance to see "Bitter Seeds", see it. It will be shown in during Occupy Monsanto's week of action starting Sept. 17th by various Occupy's and food activist groups.

GMO food companies will not only spend $millions to fight disclosure but $zillions to buy out companies whose food really IS organic (especially if they are very successful); and maybe a few more $zillions getting meanings of words like 'organic' (yep, they've already tried), 'food', 'natural' etc so that even if labelling is changed, they'll still be able to squirm out of their dirty crooked (can I say this?) verbiage to sell us what the heck they like. They will no doubt insist that by law GMOs should be in ALL food, so we'll have no choice unless we grow our own.

And if we choose to grow our own, Monsanto will make getting non-GMO seed as near-impossible as they can -- while, if we succeed in planting non-poisonous crops, pollen from their near-universal killers will drift in and corrupt our produce, and THEN Monsanto will SUE us for "stealing" their crap. We have got a life or death problem on our dinner tables, and WAY too little intervention -- if any? -- from the government that is SUPPOSED to protect us.What NOW?

Simply put, by purchasing GMO free products from these companies we fund their campaign to defeat Prop 37. Stop purchasing any of their products and their profits drop and the the board of directors will not be happy with management. This will force change whether the one percent like it or not.

This is the issue. Every dollar we spend shapes our future, determines our power, and protects or harms our democracy. Spend your money with a game plan. More than ever, and I know it's difficult when you are working, it is important to shop at farmers markets and cook from scratch. You can't stop all consuming from corporate giants but you can minimize it.I'm looking for non-GMO label appearing on some products. Lundberg organic, eco-farmed basmati rice is one such product.

So basically, "legitimate" corporations need to fix the market in order to remain profitable.

Does that sound right to anyone?

Does every large organization feel entitled to our money now? It's one thing to evade taxes (aka, rent for using the infrastructure of the people to turn a profit), it's another thing altogether to demand we blindly buy but not ask what's inside. A manager who would spend company money without finding out the particulars would be sacked without hesitation. Yet we are expected to respond differently.

Why don't these companies seek to feed the world with their GMO food as they have claimed in the response email I received after submitting my name on the truth in labelling petition?

Food should be filling the bowels of the many tankers to ship to the billions of hungry who "need" GMO food as we speak.

So either I misread that email or it's far easier for the Agri industry to pay the gov to strong arm us into buying mutant corn - which we are not supposed to eat anyway, the modified or natural versions. It just happens to be America's #2 crop (#1 is marijuana - another cluster fudge in itself) which despite a drought, still managed to hit $8 / bushel and break records this year.

Anyway, in my opinion, and this is merely opinion, a company who cannot adapt to a fickle public does not deserve to profit from it. England forced Hong Kong to speak English in order to do business with it, how well did that turn out?

Thank you Cate-my family has stopped buying food from all of these companies several years ago, Dr. Mercola alerted me to the dangers of orange juice-we don't use that at all. We WILL defeat these companies one way or another-many people I know have been growing their own corn and potatoes (which are almost all GMO) for a while now. I live in a relatively suburban area,yet I also know more and more people getting chickens,goats and miniature cows because they don't trust food companies AT ALL. If Prop 37 doesn't pass,(but I think it will) we will simply do an end run around these companies by joining food co-ops,trading, etc. Monsanto, Cargill,et.al: Your days are numbered! Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

Whole Foods claims to be anti-GMO. They have engaged in large anti-GMO campaigns throughout their history. But the fact remains, Whole Foods carries a great deal of GMO products in their stores.

GMOs are becoming more and more pervasive in our food supply. Most soy, corn, canola, and cotton come from GMO sources. There are currently no labeling laws in the U.S. If something isn’t labeled “non-GMO” or “GMO-free” it’s probably GMO.

If you watch this video, you can see that when Alexis Baden-Mayer, Political Director of Organic Consumer’s Association asked a Whole Foods employee whether store products had GMO ingredients in them, the question was patently avoided. When you shop at Whole Foods, you are likely buying GMO foods without realizing it. How can a corporation claim to be anti-GMO and continue to carry GMO products? It’s wholly abhorrent, and sends a mixed message to the consumer public. Wouldn’t a company that is so outspoken about GMOs be eager and open to answer the question? In my opinion, this refusal to answer the question shows that they in fact do have GMOs in their store

I just signed their petition at the Cornucopia website in paragraph 6.It took but a few seconds and from past experience signing online petitions they evidently have an effect.I never trusted Kashi products,so never bought them,and all of the others i dont buy.My intuition generally is right on the money i thank the powers that be.It seems to me that these years of late (especially since George W. Bush) have seen the corporations going gung ho at trying to manipulate the system,and the puppet leaders we elect,so that they can have their way in the name of profit at the expense of the human race and what remains of our precious ecosystems....be it extracting natural gas and oil,poisoning our foods with chemicals,price gouging everything we need to survive,etc... If we dont stop them soon i see no hope for future generations.If we can just wake up the 80% who are in la la land!

I suggest that everyone concerned take the time to write/fax/email the companies fighting labeling requirements. Let them know that you can no longer in good conscience buy their products, and make sure you copy to their brands' companies as well. e.g. Dean Foods / Silk, etc.; as listed on the Cornucopia website linked to in the article.

I'm still stuck on the last widespread effort at using 'buzzwords" and false advertising to comfort consumers: "organic". Anyone with a 7th grade education in basic science concepts might wonder, if in fact the bulk of 'food' we're ingesting is Inorganic, what that might mean? Our expectation is (rightly or wrongly) that "organic" signifies some special seal of being actually once-living 'organic' material, be it eggs, fish, poultry, meat or veggies. Reality is important, not only in politics, but in nutrition as well - and words are spun to obfuscate and confuse. No wonder, given the steady efforts at eroding government oversight on behalf of We the People who end up doing the consuming.

Want a constitutional amendment? How about truth in advertising, for all of the corporate 'people' all of the time?

And the spin and mind-games continue, as most of us are totally and blissfully unaware of what we are eating these days - just the way all these big 'pushers' of GMO 'food' want it. And what the majority of "dollar people" want, of course gets delivered.

Im very aware of what I eat, the better I eat, the better I feel. I hate when something touts itself as healthy, and you know its loaded with sugar, and now this GMO garbage. I never trust what they say I read the ingredients. Most stuff said to be healthy is not. You have to do your own research on stuff.

Just an FYI I used to eat margarine thinking I was eating healthy, no way. I looked up margarine and its origins, did you all know margarin was created to feed to turkeys, the turkeys all died from it. So instead bankrupting the company... they feed it to us, as a healthy alternative to butter. No thank you!! I will take the butter. I never bought it again, as well as aspertame in diet soda making people very sick. There is so much, I wouldnt doubt that so many people are getting cancer because of the food they are eating. Do your homework and look things up, dont just believe its healthy because a commercial says it is.

it seems you do not understand GMO AT ALL, organic has to buy their seeds and they are buying seeds with GMO, so going organic is not an option at all, we need to remove GMO altogether !! so we have clean not poisoned seeds> foods, please demand your congressman take action immedicatley

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